Why I Love You
by Mistress Mills
Summary: Cora and Rumplestiltskin had a long past, lesson after lesson, between the day they met and the day she left. Not all of their lessons were in magic. And they didn't hide each lesson from the King. Or from the Prince. Rated M for smut and violence. WARNING: Mature content
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own OUAT**

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_"You've earned him." Cora preened; her head held high in triumph as the Prince fell to his knees in front of her. He took her hand, his wide eyes gazing up at her. He seemed sincere enough, but the nobleman's love was not what she desired. His power was her will._

_"Cora. If you will do me the honor of accepting my hand in marriage?_

_"Yes." It was such a simple word that sealed her fate. She was now engaged to the Prince, hardly a simple endeavor, most especially for a simple miller's girl. As he bowed his head to kiss her hand, her gaze moved past him to the man standing in the crowd, shrouded in a cloak that made him undetectable to those not looking to find him. But she was looking for him, as she would continue to do all her life, looking for the powerful man who had granted her everything. His eyes glowed with pride, yet there was a sadness behind them that she could not understand. Was Rumplestiltskin not proud of her accomplishments? _

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Cora entered her private chambers, the suite she had been granted until she was married and brought into the Prince's rooms. It was small, not that she had expected much. The King was quite suspicious of her already; he only allowed her the Prince for her gold. It was the same as any woman who had come with money. King Xavier had set out to sell off his son, and he had done so. Cora was not simply a buyer, however, but an investment. She would make him gold for the rest of her life. She only hoped his life was not so long as he anticipated it would be. His funeral would be her liberation day.

She walked through the suite, looking over the room with a perceptive eye. If she was to be a princess, she would have things her way. A single servant followed her. The den was small, with a single table and two chairs, a full-length looking glass, and, as expected, a spinning wheel in the corner. She knew she would most likely be expected to spin every night for the rest of her days. Sighing, she turned to her bedroom. The door was open a crack already, which was curious. She sent off her servant, a young girl named Kryssi. The girl bowed meekly and left, promising to wait outside the door. At least they had given Cora a servant who would give her privacy. She suspected that she knew why the door was open, and wanted no one watching over her shoulder during the encounter she was anticipating.

Pushing the door open, her suspicions were confirmed by a man slayed out across the elegant bed she had been given.

"You know, dearie. The King could have afforded to give his golden girl silken sheets." He stood, coming up to her confidently. He bowed before her fluidly, arms outspread as he knelt. "And how is my future royal?"

"The Prince proposed, as you well know. I saw you in the crowd." She smiled, gesturing for him to rise. After all, his bow was not one of respect but of satisfaction. He had set her up to become a princess. Each bow to her was another wave of pride for himself. She curtsied when he stood up, her reverence true. He was her savior, after all.

"Because I allowed you to see me, dearie. You don't have the power to see through glamours. Yet." He giggled, turning to inspect her room. She followed him stoically, the only man she would not fight. He held her life in his hand, and could so easily take it away. And he would give her no escape. The Dark One would be her end, she felt sure of it, but for now she would use him as an ally. He seemed willing enough to give in to love, and she was good enough at giving it. She could use him as long as he was willing. And then she would take her leave.

"If the sheets displease you, I am quite certain you have the power to change them." He kept exploring, looking through the assortment of jewelry she had been left, not even looking up at her comment.

"You should be used to sleeping on second best." He pulled out a jade necklace, looking at the stones carefully. "Actually, perhaps that's overestimating your usual living arrangements." She opened her mouth to protest, shocked at his treatment of her, before shutting her mouth quickly. It would not due to make the Dark One angry.

"I suppose I am accustomed to that life, but, as you pointed out, this was my way out. I'll have Kryssi fetch me new sheets." He nodded, moving on to her wardrobe.

"Might tell her to take out a few seams as well, dearie. They seem to have underestimated your weight." That was the last straw. She stormed up to him, reached back her arm to throw a punch and jumped back in horror as it caught fire. It didn't hurt. In fact, it was a pleasant warmth that tingled across her arm. She grinned, flicking her fingers, flames shooting out from them at Rumplestiltskin. To her surprise, though, he disappeared the instant the first spark touched his back. She looked around the room in confusion, searching for him. She even went so far as to look inside the wardrobe. As she lifted up a dark green velvet gown, she felt the sting of the edge of a sword at her throat.

"Back up slowly." he growled. She took a step back from the wardrobe, and his arm curled around her waist, the blade still at her throat. She found that she couldn't breathe, her whole body had stopped in that moment when she could so easily lose her head. Her mind had fogged over, thoughts becoming disoriented. "Now what, exactly, were you trying to do to me?"

"I, uh, I don't know. You did it to me. Every word you said... cutting into me. So I decided to get back." The sword cut into her throat lightly, a tiny trickle of blood sliding down her throat and past the edge of her dress, slipping directly between her breasts.

"You used magic, dearie. I didn't teach you that." Keeping the blade at her throat, his hand moved up from her waist, a single taloned finger swiping a drop of blood. She looked up with her eyes, head staying in place in fear of the blade cutting deeper. He licked the blood off of his finger, a grim smile crossing his face.

"I am capable of much, you've said it yourself." She tried to keep the pride in her voice, even as fear shot through her body. His lips grazed her ear as he whispered to her.

"That's what I was hoping for." He spun her around, the blade clattering to the floor. She had gone stiff while he had threatened her, and stumbled when he turned her. He caught her and lifted her up to her full height, placing a gentle kiss on her lips.

"How dare you test me like that?" She slapped him roughly before grabbing him back to her, their kiss deeper this time. They only stopped when both were panting lightly, so lacking in breath. He walked her back to the bed, changing the sheets to silver silk with a snap of his fingers. He sat behind her, kissing down her neck before reaching the cut he had caused.

"Perhaps I had best teach you healing spells before we get too far. Wouldn't want to cause irreparable damage, would we?" He giggled, a finger running down a vein on her neck. "The Prince might get suspicious."


	2. Chapter 2

**I don't own OUAT**

"Very good, dearie. Very good." Rumplestiltskin praised her, correcting her posture at the same time. "Your spell is strong, but you must be better positioned. If your fire ball hits the wall, it doesn't matter how powerful it was." She nodded, straightening her arm as she continued to fuel the fire growing inside her palm.

"How am I to practice aim? You are the only one here." He circled her, nodding.

"Yes, and you won't try attacking me again, will you?" There was a clear threat there, but she was beginning to understand his teaching style. He tended to provoke her, forcing her to go after him. Much as she revered him, she was not willing to allow him to toy with her pride.

"Of course not. Why provoke the Dark One? I value my life too much." She jumped slightly as he pushed gently on her lower back. A huge ball of fire shot out of her hand, exploding her little table.

"You're slouching." He said it in such a tone that she wasn't sure whether it was mocking or apologetic. With him, it was often hard to tell. "Why don't you come with me before you burn down your whole room?" Without waiting for response, he wrapped his arms around her chest, pulling her close to him as they vanished in a puff of smoke.

They reappeared in a dark hallway, the walls made of a pearly stone, two candles just barely lighting the huge entrance. Their flickering made it difficult to see. Each step echoed off the walls, a thump from his shoes and a click from her heels. They walked silently, his arm wrapped around her, holding her tight. A harsh shiver ran through her body.

"My dear, I believe you need to change out of your royal garb." He released her, moving his hand slowly through the air beside her body. As his hand glided beside her, it changed her deep purple satin gown into a comfy white shirt, coarse fur coat, and tight leather pants. Her stiletto heels had been switched for soft leather boots. She felt certain that the pants were for selfish reasons, but the coat was for her sakes, allowing her to warm up. She nodded appreciatively, wrapping it tight around her.

"Thank you." She set off on her own, knowing he would be close behind, and entered a dining hall that was adjacent to it. It had a long wooden table, and lining the walls were marble columns with treasures hanging of them. She walked around, fingers trailing over the items as she passed. There was a grotesque pair of puppets on one, with a golden chalice resting beside it. She took a brief pause when she saw a single hand, the left one, set on a pedestal beside the others. It was strange, but with him, it didn't surprise her. They were all his treasures. Moving on, she saw a glass case with 3 multicolored wands placed carefully inside. She reached for a blue one that had a tip of pure dark amethyst.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you not to touch other people's things without asking?" She turned, to find that he was standing directly behind her. She smirked, running a finger down his cheek.

"Didn't you teach me I should take what I want?" He scowled, plucking the wand from with the case.

"Not. Here." He pointed it at her, and she flinched slightly. "This is my castle. My rules. You will not touch my things unless I give you permission. My treasures are dangerous." He waved the wand, bright yellow sparks shooting out of it. "Wouldn't want you to blow off your pretty little head, now would we, dearie?" She shook her head, humbled slightly, but still not ready to give up.

"My dear Rumple. Is your body your possession?" He watched her uncertainly, wary that it would be a trap as many women had tried to do.

"It is." She grinned, bowing her head.

"May I have permission?" He saw where she was going with it immediately, slightly concerned as to whether or not to allow her. It had been so very long since a woman had concerned herself with him, but from his last experience, he had learned not to trust women. Milah had used him, leaving him and their son when it had best suited her. And due to her betrayal, he had lost Baelfire. He could not allow that to happen again. But as he gazed at the woman before him, he saw a certain honesty in her that he felt that he could believe in. His resolve broke when she bit her lip, a soft pout covering her features.

"Granted." She placed her hands on his chest, allowing them to move down and explore his form, a curious innocence spread across her face. For such a strong woman, she was innocent in the way of a lover. He would teach her everything she would need, then. At last, she rested one hand on his back, the other rising up to run through his hair, her mouth covering his roughly. He wrapped his own arms around her small form, pushing her up against himself. The cloak he had created her was quickly tossed off, as was the coat he had been wearing. He found himself pressing her into the wall, her shirt torn at the edge by a shard on the wall. His mind returned to him, and he pulled back from her.

"We should finish your lesson first." She straightened her shirt slightly, panting after their encounter.

"I thought this was my lesson." Her eyes shined with lust, and he knew that his must hold the same. It was a look he would plan to inspire in her in the future.

"First things first." He snapped his fingers, the doors to the grand room slamming shut, and two small figures appearing. One a woman, one a man. The woman had black hair, tight curls tangled up with twigs and leaves. Her pale blue eyes were full of desperation, a sense of the wild in them. The man had shaggy brown hair and olive eyes, a ragged beard starting to form on his chin. They looked slightly familiar to Cora, but she could not recall for what reason. "Lady Julia. Lord Alexander. How pleasant of you to drop in." He kissed her neck gently, nipping her pulse point before whispering in her ear. "You did want target practice, did you not?" She grinned.

"Of course. You did say lessons first." She turned up to the pair of royals. "Run." Identical grins spread upon their faces, the glints in their eyes showing bloodlust clear enough, though there was still a thick cloud of lust within them. She laid her head back against his chest, reaching her arm out to the nobles, a strong fire forming inside her palm. The nobles ran, scattering like sheep around the room as they tried to escape. All she did was flick her fingers, orbs of fire shooting flying across the room at them. Two lazy flicks of her wrist later, she turned back to him, pushing him against the wall he had forced her into mere moments before.

"Now. Where were we?"


	3. Chapter 3

**I don't own OUAT**

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Cora sat at a small stool, back aching from hours of tedious spinning. Nonetheless, she had been told to spin until Henry came for her, and she did not want to be caught slacking. She looked into her bedroom where Kryssi stood, hanging new gowns into her wardrobe. The girl was kind, and seemed to respect her far more than the rest of the castle workers had. The cook gave her small plates of pasta while the rest of the castle's occupants had feasts, and the seamstress always made bulky outfits that made her form look misshapen. Only Kryssi and Henry gave her a kind word. Even so, they were both quiet people. Kryssi due to her stance, and Henry due to his introverted nature. It made for a lonely life, and not one fitting for the title she was going to be given. Even so, no one cared for her comfort other than her dear teacher.

She had not seen Rumplestiltskin for weeks, as she had not been left to her own devices in as much time. He knew enough to stay away when those who reported to the King were around. It would not take much for the man to kill her for treason. He had no respect for human life, much less desires of anyone other than himself. He wished only for his own wealth, status, and wills. Not even his child mattered to him. With this thought in mind, she returned to her spinning, the straw scraping her fingers. Her muscles groaned at the continued movement, but she knew from experience that if she continued for long enough, they would quiet as numbness took over. As she ran her hand over the wheel, continuing its motion, she misjudged the length of it, pricking her finger on the spindle. She cried out, falling off of the stool in surprise. Instinct told her to put her finger in her mouth, the sharp iron taste of her blood filling it.

"Would you like some help?" A male voice came from behind her. For a moment, she allowed herself to believe that it was him, and he had come to her, despite her annoyingly present servant.

"Yes, I wo-" As she turned, she noted that it was not, indeed, the man she desired, but the one she had been expecting. "Oh. Henry." She nodded her head to him, the closest she would ever come to bowing before the humble man. He would not harm her for being ungrateful as his father would. He held his hands out for her to take, and she took his right hand in her left, her right still preoccupied with the small wound. She rose to her full height, and he gazed at her, wrinkling his nose at the odd arrangement of skirts that she wore.

"You look lovely" He always was the charmer, but she was not one to mince words, not even to a prince. Especially not to _her_ prince.

"I look hideous. My hand-sewn gowns were better than these that your seamstress makes for me. She is jealous of my station beside your side and will do whatever it takes to make me look horrid." He chuckled, looking over her once again.

"You could never look horrid. Your beauty shines through the clothing you wear. But if she dissatisfies you, I will fire her. There are many who would be more than happy to fill her station, and they would make you whatever you want. What you deserve." She shook her head in distaste at his lack of concern for the lives of his servants. It was the one way that he was like his father, the way that disappointed her. Even so, the wench deserved to starve for being so decidedly cruel to her. The King was cruel enough. She removed her finger from her mouth, the bleeding now mostly stopped.

"That would be perfect, Henry." She said it in a calm tone, her musings on him hidden from the outside world. He took her cheek in his soft palm, smiling at her. As he gazed into her eyes, he gave her a soft kiss, one that lacked passion so completely she had to wonder if she was marrying a ghost. She had learned quickly, however, that this was the place she could not speak back to him about. He was going to be her husband soon, though they had yet to decide how soon their wedding would be. She gave a demure smile, forcing a tender blush to appear across her pale cheeks. Henry called to Kryssi, whispering fervently with her. Finally, the young girl bowed to him, her dark hair falling into a curtain to cover her face. Once she had risen, she left the chamber quickly. Henry turned back to her.

"I was sent to fetch you to dinner." Dinner had become a daily torture for her. Though all of her other meals were sent to her room, she was called down each day to eat dinner with Henry, Xavier, Henry's three brothers, and their wives. Though Henry was always kind, Xavier ignored her through meals, and Henry's sister-in-laws, Breanna, Adele, and Lydia, turned their noses up at the girl they thought to be a peasant who had stolen her place at their table. Cora would do whatever she could to escape this fate tonight. The day had weighed on her too much, and she was beginning to grow weary of this lifestyle.

"I've been feeling rather ill today, actually. Could we dine in my room tonight?" She looked up at him hopefully. The man seemed to give in to her every will normally, but when it meant going against his father, he was too scared to try. He hesitated, as she expected.

"Why, then, were you working the day away at your spinning wheel?" She frowned. He, of all people, should understand why she spent all day at the wheel. It was most certainly not by choice.

"Your father gets quite upset when I don't meet his quota of gold per day. He is wearing me down." Henry nodded distractedly, lost in thought.

"Very well. I shall have Kryssi deliver food when she returns from the seamstress." She gave him an appreciative smile and small kiss on the cheek. It was the least she could do for him for saving her the pain of isolation she felt at the dinner table. Once Rumplestiltskin taught her how to get back at those who had wronged her, the running of things at the castle would change drastically. For now, however, she would have to cope with things the way they were.

He took her hand, leading her to the bedroom. They sat on the corner of her bed, a large space between them. She knew it was for her sake, but at the moment she was seeking comfort. She drew closer to him, gently resting herself against his chest. He hesitantly put his arm around her, drawing her closer.

"Thank you." she whispered into his chest. He lifted her chin, looking deeply into her eyes. How did he not know that she did not love him as he did her? Perhaps he did, but accepted it. But then, perhaps he did not.

"For protecting my fiance?" He kissed her, a bit more passionately this time. "Anytime."

Her heart softened at his words, compelling her to comfort him in return. She did not know how to comfort a man, but because of her teacher, she did know how to please one. Rumplestiltskin had not visited her in over a week's time. He could not blame her for turning to her future husband in his stead. She sat up, carefully tucking her skirts under her knees as she rose over Henry. She pulled him to her, kissing him with all of the passion she had built up waiting for her true lover. His eyes flew open at her powerful reaction, but he did not complain. She stripped him of his vest, pulling at his shirt quickly after. Once it was gone, she leaned over him, placing a gentle kiss behind his ear.

"Would you like to see a magic trick, your majesty?" She winked at him, her gown disappearing into thin air. It was one of the first spells she had been taught, for obvious reasons. He stared up at her, baffled, and opened his mouth to question her. However, he was quickly silenced by another kiss. At this, he finally seemed to catch on to what was happening, grabbing her and rolling over, putting himself on top. She grinned. Perhaps not a ghost after all. He kissed down her body gently, ending at her upper thigh before returning to her lips. He kissed her violently now, a passion she had never expected from the quiet man who couldn't say no to her. His hands imprisoned hers above her head as he kissed her. She found herself attracted to this new side of him, a side that perhaps she could love if it were to come out more often.

"Shall we turn in for the night, Cora?" His voice had taken on a husky tone, him wanting her as much, if not more, than she wanted him. She grinned, her own voice deepening.

"Yes." With this, she pointed her finger at the door and it swung shut as Henry came down on her.


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own OUAT**

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Cora rolled over, gazing at her sleeping fiance. His chest rose and fell at an even pace, so at ease with the world around him. She brushed an errant piece of hair away from his face. It had slipped over his closed eyes, and obstructed her view of his face. She smiled softly, satisfied with this peaceful moment. Her body was sore from their night's loving. As she was about to wake him, she heard the sound of a door creaking open nearby. She rose up on one shoulder as Kryssi entered the room.

"Ma'am, I brought you three new-" Her eyes widened and she dropped the gowns that were in her arms as she caught sight of who was in the bed. "Oh, pardon me. I... I should go!" She ran out the door, leaving the gowns on the ground. "Oh, no, I should..." She ran back into the room, reaching for the dresses when her hand touched another's. Cora had gotten out of bed to gather the dresses on her own. She stared at the woman for a moment. "Ma'am, you're not dressed yet." Cora chuckled.

"That is because my servant just threw my dresses at the ground." Kryssi flushed, her pale skin turning bright red.

"Yes, of course. My apologies, Ma'am!" Cora smiled at the woman.

"It is perfectly alright, my dear." She lifted the dresses herself. Kryssi quickly took them from her, the man in Cora's bed quickly forgotten. "Would you help me dress?" Kryssi nodded quickly, almost dropping the dresses again. Cora caught them once again, steadying the shaky girl. She held the dresses up for Cora's inspection.

These new gowns were more fitting to her, and much better than the previous. Cora grinned, selecting an emerald green dress with black sequins decorating it. It was made of a delicate satin, and changed shades in the flickering light. Cora took a black corset out of the wardrobe, wrapping it around her chest.

"Kryssi?" The girl hurried to her side, tying the corset tightly. She then gently pulled the dress onto Cora, looking at it carefully.

"You look beautiful, Ma'am." For once, Cora agreed. She gazed into her looking glass, smiling at the woman looking back at her. She finally looked like a royal. Perhaps this new look would gain her more respect from the other occupants of the castle. She sat down, looking over her minimal collection of jewelry, pulling her mother's old locket over her head. Her mother had died giving birth to her, and it was the one gift her father had ever given her. It was the only thing that truly mattered to her.

"Thank you, Kryssi. You may go now." She was beginning to develop a soft spot for the girl. It was worrying. She was here to gain power, not grow soft over a servant girl and foolish Prince. She walked out of the bedroom, assuring herself before she left that Henry was still asleep. She heard the door shut as Kryssi left her chambers.

"Sending away your little family, dearie?" She turned around quickly towards the voice that she had not expected to hear so soon. He came up to her, a quick kiss all that he would give her for the moment. She waited for him to continue, but he moved on quickly.

"Whatever do you mean?" He glanced at her irritably, sending her a knowing gaze.

"Leaving your prince in your bed was too messy for you, Cora. I expected better from you in the way of hiding him from me." She looked shocked and outraged, staring at him in astonishment.

"I was with my fiance! The only thing I did wrong was not wait for marriage, but we both know I would hardly have been pure at my wedding regardless. You made certain of that" He gripped her wrist tightly in his hand, his taloned fingernails digging into her wrists. She cried out in pain, trying to pull away from him.

"You ungrateful girl!" He tossed her to the ground. "I taught you how to please a man. Not how to please an old tired dog! Your foolish prince should have been your stepping stone, not a chance at 'true love'" He said the ending mockingly, as he so often did when speaking on the matter. His words were cruel, but his actions were worse. While she was on the ground, he sent orbs of glowing dark energy through her body. She screamed, and he stuffed her mouth with a pillow he had stolen from her room. "Wouldn't want to wake your precious Henry, would we, dearie?" Her body continued to writhe in pain, her cries muffled but not silenced by the pillow. He gripped her shoulder tightly, disappearing in a puff of purple smoke.

They reappeared in the bedroom of his castle. It was a barren room, with only a hard bed in the center of the room and a spinning wheel in the corner. Had it been under different circumstances, perhaps she would have questioned him on it. Instead, she found herself chained to the bed, her arms held over her head, and ankles chained to the posts of the bed. The brand new gown she had just dressed in was tattered, the bottom ripped off, and the top slipping lower than intended. He had temporary let up on her torture, allowing the pain from his prior spells seep through her as all traces of shock vanished, and she was hit with the abrupt reality of the situation. She was at his mercy. And in that moment, she was not quite sure whether or not she would make it out alive.

"Do you want to see what I do to little girls who betray me, dearie?" He reached into a leather bag that had appeared out of thin air and pulled out a long whip. He ran it through his fist, cracking it as it went through. She tried pulling at her restraints, but she found that all that came from it was raw wrists. Teeth sunk into her lips. She was not willing to give him the pleasure of hearing her pain. She held true to the defiance he had once found so pleasing.

He stood beside her, whip in hand, just watching her for a moment. And then, raising his arm, he flung the whip down across her chest, her dress and flesh tearing where the whip laid into her. She did not make a sound. He cried out, letting his anger spill out of him as he laid into her with the whip, her skin falling to tatters. Still, she kept silent, biting through her lip and clenching her eyes shut as the pain ran through her body. She could not give him that satisfaction. He stopped, panting from the effort, and tossed the whip down.

He leaned over her body, kissing her with all the anger he had just put into tearing her apart. Her blood was on her lips, a familiar taste that was almost a drug for him. It was addictive, essential to his continued existence. He licked it from her lips until it was all gone before turning to the war zone he had made of her body. After sending away the tatters of her gown, he began to kiss his way along the markings made by the whip, tasting her blood once again on his lips. It was now, when his eyes had changed from dark with fury to a whole new shade, a color clouded by lust, that she writhed, trying, once again, to free herself from the beast. But the bonds stayed firm, as she knew they would. He was the Dark One. If he wanted her to say chained to that bed for the rest of her life, that was how it would be.

"Are you going to behave now, Cora?" She spit at him, a mixture of blood and saliva hitting his cheek. He wiped it off with a cruel laugh. "I guess I've got your answer!" He raised his hands over her naked and mangled body, once again summoning the dark energy to seep in through the cuts in her skin. Her body twisted and contorted as the energy tore through her, tearing apart her organs, burning through her veins. Her blood boiled, and her heart was pierced repeatedly by his dark magic. She finally gave in, no longer able to hold in the gut-wrenching, animalistic screech that tore through her broken body. A few more minutes of a torture, and it seemed her scream would be never ending. Finally, he moved his hands from her, releasing her from her torture.

Her broken body was not a safe place for her now irrevocably damaged mind to return to. Sobs tore through her, from the pain she had felt in both body and mind, and the betrayal of the man she had thought loved her. She gazed up at him, watching as he wiped off the whip that was drenched in her blood. He did it painstakingly, as though he cared more for the cleanliness of his whip than he did of her rapidly fading life.

"Please.." she begged. "Please. Save me." He turned to her, a cold expression on his face full of anger, disappointment, and a hint of pain. Perhaps she deluded herself with the latter, believing that some part of him truly did care for her. It was a stupid idea, but quite possibly the one thread keeping her from allowing her mind to go rampant for the moments she had left of life. She needed to think that he still loved her. It was the only reason for her to keep trying to push air in and out of her destroyed lungs.

"I did not teach you magic so that you could be a simple house wife! I want a powerful apprentice, Cora. One who will go far, surpass any who stands in her way." She nodded, tears still pouring out of her eyes.

"Yes. I will, I promise" Her voice was thin, so very soft that she was not sure that he had heard her at all. She learned he had when he continued.

"An apprentice who will call me Master." He glared at her, daring her to question him.

"I will. Please... Save me, Master." She went into a coughing fit, blood shooting out across her already blood-stained chest. He came up to her, brushing her hair back gently, as he had done so many times before, stroking it gently. He combed his fingers through the tangles and clumps of blood that had dried and hardened in her hair. As he did so, a pink glow emanated from his palm, healing all her wounds. However, she was still naked, tied down to the bed. "Release me, please." He looked at her curiously for a moment, before yanking her locket off of her neck, releasing her bondage at the same moment.

"It looks like you've finally learned your lesson, dearie."


	5. Chapter 5

**I don't own OUAT**

Cora sat at her table, a new one that replaced the plain rickety one she had been given at her arrival. It was long and grand, made of pure mahogany. What a woman such as herself deserved. She had a plain piece of parchment in front of her and a piece of charcoal in hand. She was sketching a picture of her lover. His hair was the most difficult part to capture. Though getting the details of his face and skin were difficult, they were manageable. She had always had trouble with hair. As she was getting it just right, a huge echoing noise bounced around her room, making her jump. As she jumped, the picture was ruined as her charcoal swiped across the face of the man in her picture. Her head shot up, glaring at the cause of the disturbance.

"Sorry, Ma'am. I didn't know you were in here." Kryssi moved inside the room, arms full of laundry. Cora shook her head, a grim look on her face as she dropped her drawing into the fire.

"And where else would I be? My rooms are as good as a prison cell in this hell hole." Kryssi cringed, moving past her to her bedroom. Cora stalked after her, not ready to finish the conversation. "Speak when you are spoken to! I asked you a question!" Kryssi turned around, her head looking at the floor.

"I thought you might be with the Prince." Kryssi's cheeks were flushed as she said this. Cora chuckled.

"That incompetent man? Oh, darling. He is just my way out." Cora stepped up to the girl who was now trembling. She took the girl's cheeks in her hands gently, stroking the girl's left cheek. Kryssi's eyes followed her movements as she leaned over and brushed her lips against the other girl's. Kryssi stared at her, dumbstruck, before falling to her knees from the blow she had been dealt, a red handprint vivid on her face. "And you will tell no one that I said that. Will you... dearie?" She tested the word. It felt bizarre, foreign in her mouth. She would not use it again.

"N-n-no, Ma'am." Kryssi stood, the laundry long since forgotten on the floor. Cora grinned, turning her back on the terrified girl.

"Do fetch me something to eat. And clean your hands. You'll be feeding a future member of the royal family. Do not do it with dirty palms." Her voice had a satisfied lilt in it, a tone that was indistinguishable to Kryssi. Kryssi picked up the laundry, quickly storing it, before rushing out of Cora's chambers to get her food. She hoped that no one would question the mark on her cheek.

Cora sat herself down at her spinning wheel, beginning to work on the newest stack of straw she had been given. It seemed like such an ordinary task to her, the spinning. But it was a part of her life she shouldn't have had to return to in this new life of luxury. Nonetheless, it was a task her master would do of his own volition, so it must be worth doing. He had no need to do it, yet he continued with it regardless. She had just begun to spin a thin strand of gold when she felt hands on her shoulders. Noting the absence of others in the room, she knew it must be Rumplestiltskin.

"Good morning, my dear." She turned, a grin on her face, and spotted her fiancé. She fought to keep the grin from souring at his appearance. It would not due to look unpleased to see the man. He was her way to the top, but to do that, he must remain in love with her. He must believe that she loved him, foolish an idea as it was. She wanted his power: no more, no less. He dropped a kiss onto her cheek.

"Good morning, my love. Hard at work already, I see?" Cora nodded, turning back to her wheel. She concentrated on the spinning over Henry's voice. "I was hoping you could come with me for breakfast." She glared at the golden thread, clenching her teeth.

"Kryssi is already fetching me food." Henry nodded.

"Then I'll eat with you." Cora sped up the wheel, moving it faster. She did not want to eat with him. She did not want anything to do with him. Stepping stones were meant to be used and thrown away, not kept as pets! Her anger came out as she spun, the magic flowing out with it. "Cora?"

"What is it, Henry?" Her voice had a thick layer of ice in it, but she covered it with an overly cheery tone. He took her hand, the one she had been using to spin the wheel. She tried to pull away from him, but he rested her hand on the spool of thread she had collected. She jumped up as pain shot through her veins from her fingertips where she had touched the thread. "What did you do?" She stood abruptly, tearing her dress and falling off balance. Henry caught her in his arms.

"You spun straw… into fire." Sure enough, when she looked at the thread, it had gone from pure gold to a thread of flames, resting on the spool just as surely as any other thread. She looked at her blackened fingertips, small blisters boiling up across the burn. She growled, running her healthy hand over the other, the blisters fading away, but the burnt skin remaining.

"You distracted me." Her voice was flat, no anger slipping into it. That was the most worrying part- her complete lack of emotion in her voice. It meant that her anger had surpassed agitation, had surpassed anger, and had surpassed fury. It meant that her anger had reached rage, where it boiled up on cold flames inside of her, wishing to be let out. She flung her hand out at the wheel, tearing it to pieces, splinters flying through the air. There was a small field around the pair that protected them from the blow.

"How did you…" Henry trailed off, bewildered by the damage that had been caused by the gentle woman in front of him.

"What? Don't tell me you thought spinning was my only magic?" She grinned, a terrifyingly upbeat tone to her voice. She looked him in the eyes, a maniacal look on her face. "I showed you a little magic trick a night ago. Or did you forget? I can't imagine how you could." She crooned "Did your father ever ask why you refused to ride your horse?"

"No. He didn't, thank the gods." He looked at her, slightly frightened by her, but mostly concerned. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" She nodded.

"Getting better every minute." It was that instant that the door swung open again. Kryssi stood in the doorway, five platters of food piled high in each arm. Henry pulled away from Cora, taking a few of the trays from the servant's arms and resting them on the table.

"I… I didn't know what you wanted, Ma'am. I got you some of everything." She set the remaining platters of food on the table, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face.

"Well, then, my dear, it is a very good thing that my dear fiancé decided to stop by, is it not?" Kryssi nodded.

"May I go now, Ma'am?" Cora nodded, but Henry caught her arm.

"No. You cannot." He touched her still-red cheek lightly. "What happened?" She flushed, the handprint disappearing.

"One of the chefs hit me. It doesn't matter; I must go. Lady Cora's laundry must be done again. I… I dropped it earlier." With that, she hurried out of the room. Cora sat down at the table, picking up an apple.

"What was that about?" Henry glanced at her. She shrugged.

"Don't ask me." She bit into the apple, hiding a smirk that was begging to come out. The little girl learned fast.


	6. Chapter 6

**I don't own OUAT**

"So... you lived in a mill?" Lydia cocked her head, brow furrowed in confusion. From the other end of the table, Cora let out a deep laugh, purposefully quieted, but still strange for the noble girl's status quo.

"No, I lived in a small home beside the mill." The other girl, youngest of the three wives, nodded her head. She hated the ever-present silence that dinner always contained since the arrival of Henry's future bride, and had been attempted to fix it. Cora was open to conversation, but tended not to answer personal questions. Thanks to this, there was another torturous silence, filled only with the sounds of golden forks and knives clinking against the golden plates their meals were served with. Xavier raised his head from his food, sensing the distress of his daughter-in-law.

"Cora." Her head flew up, unaccustomed to her name on such a vile pair of lips. "I sent soldiers to your father's mill this morning. You are aware that he was still listed as our chief supplier?" She nodded silently. "The place was deserted when we arrived. Have you any knowledge of where your father has fled to?" Cora glared at her plate, stabbing a bean viciously.

"He is dead." She looked up at her fiancé's hand on her shoulder, and turned to gaze at the astonished faces surrounding her at the table. Xavier opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "To me. I want nothing to do with the old fool. I have no idea where he went." The women at the table looked slightly more relieved, though still shocked at the sudden cruelty of the normally quiet woman. Henry's brothers nodded.

"Good thinking. The peasant doesn't deserve a noblewoman's thoughts" This came from Octavian, Adele's husband, and the eldest son. First in line for Xavier's throne. It was strange to her, but Octavian seemed to have accepted her faster than the others, to some degree more than Henry had. "You may have once been on his level, but you are not there anymore. Put away all thoughts of those you knew before. You are soon to be one of us." She smiled, grateful for his words and his faith.

"Thank you." It had been a month since her engagement, and this was the first civil dinner they had had in as much time. "Might I ask a question?" While Henry's hand, which encased hers under the table, squeezed tightly in warning, Xavier waved her on. "When am I to get married? It has been a month."

"I am aware of the time that has passed, Lady Cora. However, a royal wedding takes time to plan. And you must further acquaint yourself with my son." Cora nodded, submissive looking once again. She looked back to her plate, her food hardly touched. She had not felt well in a few days. The Court Physician had found no reason for her illness, however, so she tried to ignore it. However, as she raised a small piece of meat to her lips, its sharp smell made her stomach drop, her face tinted green. Henry noticed instantly.

"Cora, are you alright?" She shook her head quickly before dropping the fork, ripping her hand from his grasp, and tearing out of the room. She closed her eyes, transporting herself across the castle to her room, not noticing the little girl left in the hall she had stood in, coughing at the smoke and wondering where her future sister had gone.

She appeared in perfect placement, her timing exceptional, before a wide basin that had been placed in her room. Kryssi, who had been hanging her gowns when she entered, ran up to her, tying her hair back with a thick leather piece that had been made for that purpose. It was that moment when a shuddering gasp tore through Cora's body as she leaned over the basin, appetite spoiled as her meal returned to her. She waved Kryssi off, sending her out of her rooms.

"Well, dearie. Have you put the Prince in his p-" Rumplestiltskin cut himself off, his words trailing as he caught sight of Cora, still heaving into the bin until she began dry heaving, all substance gone from her stomach. He rushed to her side, rubbing her back delicately. At last, she finished, leaning back against him, weak from the force required. Her pale face had grown paler still, white as a wedding gown, and was soaked in sweat. He carried her to her bed. Her body was now limp, having fainted from exhaustion.

Laid out on the bed, she looked so fragile. It was a trait he did not like seeing in her, nor one he could equate with the feisty little demon he worked with normally. He gazed at her helpless form on the bed for only a second, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek, and fleeing the scene. He would not watch her like that.

As he was leaving, her door flew open. Within it stood the tiny form of a child, no more than 7 years old. She had long, flowing chestnut hair and pale skin. She had taken after her mother, King Xavier's second wife, who had died in childbirth with the girl standing in Cora's doorway. She stared at the spot where she had seen a man vanish from thin air, and then turned to Cora, laid out across the bed, her limp body contorted in a terrifying position, her skin almost waxen in appearance. The girl flew to the bed, climbing up on top of it. Her hand touched Cora's skin, cringing at the feeling. Her hand was laid across Cora's forehead, and a pale white glow came from it. As the glow spread across Cora's body, her skin began to fill with color, and her body cooled down. Her eyes fluttered open, and she smiled at the girl in front of her.

"Sophia." Cora felt tired, weared down. Simply acknowledging the girl drained her of energy. "What happened?"

"You were unconscious with a strange man in here. Who was he?" That was hardly what Cora had meant, but she knew of Sophia's hunger for knowledge. Her curiosity would not allow her to speak with Cora without getting her answer.

"A very special man. And our little secret, I hope." The little girl nodded. Once again, she asked the girl what had happened, but this time she was interrupted by Henry. When his eyes caught sight of the scene before him, he rushed to her side, on his knees. He stroked her hair tenderly, and looked to Sophia, as though he received silent orders from her. She nodded.

"Cora... there is something you should know about Sophia's mother." He bit his lip, unsure how to continue. "Are you strong enough to try again?" The little girl nodded once again, and Cora looked into the girl's eyes. The girl's usual golden-olive colored eyes had faded to a dull green, no sign of their usual sparkle. She was concerned for the girl. Henry reached beside her and took a jeweled letter opener from a small drawer beside her bed. She had had art and calligraphy tools added recently. He took the small blade and ran in down his palm, wincing as blood boiled up to the surface of the thin cut. Sophia reached for his hand, holding it tenderly, and began to glow. Her hair floated up in gentle waves around her, a look of complete serenity crossing her face. Soon enough, the illusion ended and her hair dropped back down, the glow gone from her. Her eyes were tired, and she swayed a little.

"My momma was Queen of the Druids. And I can heal people I love, like you and Henry." Cora's eyes widen, frightened for the little girl's sakes. If that got out, everyone would use her until she could not bear it anymore. Not the least of which being her own father. As though guessing what she had been thinking, Henry took her hand gently, tracing her veins with a single finger.

"Very few of us know. And very few of us deserve to. Lydia, Octavian, Adele, and you. Well, and myself, of course." He kissed her hand. "It is a difficult thing to know, knowing you cannot save all who need it. But only Sophia can decide who is worthy." The girl succumbed to her exhaustion, her now-grey eyes fluttering shut as she curled up on Cora's lap, her head propped onto the older woman's chest. Cora brushed back a strand of the girl's hair fondly, stroking her hair as the girl slept.

"I see. I will, of course, keep her secret. She is a special girl." Cora smiled, looking down at the girl again. Henry stood, dropping her hand back onto the bed.

"Would you like to be left alone so you may rest?" Cora shook her head.

"No. I wish to discuss our wedding. It has not even been mentioned since..." She gazed down at her left hand, a large engagement ring on her finger, the stone larger than any she had ever seen before. Henry nodded, pulling over a chair. As his back was turned, the sleeping girl's eyes clicked open, a beautiful golden haze covering her eyes. She sent a knowing glance to Cora's stomach, resting her palm there gently.

"Is the special man the daddy of your baby?" Cora's eyes rolled up in her head, and she fainted once again, not hearing Henry's cries for her, or feeling Sophia return to her position against her chest. Her firstborn child was coming.


	7. Chapter 7

**I don't own OUAT**

Cora stayed in bed for days, still too weak to do much, though not suffering from her nausea due to the little girl who was her almost constant companion. It would not be difficult to get out of bed, but if Xavier were to find out that she could so much as sit up, she would be forced to return to her work. So long as she could get away with this, she would. The constant spinning was harsh on her body.

She looked down, smiling, at the little girl in her arms. Sophia was resting, exhausted by her constant use of power. Even now, she glowed slightly with healing energy. Cora ran her fingers through the young girl's hair, pulling it back from her face. She picked the girl up gently, putting her onto the bed next to her. With a light stretch of her legs, her feet touched the cold stone floor, chill bumps shooting up her body at the loss of warmth from the bed. Moving farther from the haven she had so desired, her face lit up when she saw Sophia's glow die down. The girl could finally have a moment of peace, free of the selfishness Cora had indulged in.

"Venturing out on your own?" Through her open bedroom door, she saw Rumplestiltskin materialize on her new couch. Taking slow, deliberate steps, she approached her lover. At his look, she curled up, resting herself in his lap. Her head was laid on his shoulder, and she closed her eyes as his arms wrapped around her tightly. She felt a familiar tightness growing in her chest, a large knot forming in her throat. Her grip on him tightened, her eyes only opening when the tension was relieved.

They were on his bed in the room she recognized as the one he had tortured her in not so very long ago. She pulled out of his arms, a small orb of fire forming in her palm. His face contorted, confusion evident on it at her terror. Her eyes had grown wide when she had seen her location, and though her stance looked confident, her hand was trembling. At last, it dawned on him.

"Ah, I see. I make efforts not to harm sick women unless they do something to betray me. Have you?" A small shake of her head confirmed his belief. He wouldn't doubt her; she was far too proud of her indiscretions. "I assume you are still sick?"

"Unfortunately." She sat beside him on the bed, trying desperately to ignore a few red spots- blood stains. Were they hers? Were they not? How was it that a twisted form of jealousy came over her at the thought of him doing such a thing to someone else? The memory sickened her, but at the same time, she knew that he still loved her. He only did it to make her stronger. And it was working. Every day, she grew more powerful. The closer she came to being royalty, the more power she was handed. The rest she would take by force.

"I got you something." That said, he pulled a beautiful necklace out of his pocket. It had an opal in the center, hanging on a thin braided silver chain. The opal had some kind of energy locked inside of it, a small, thin layer of red fog covering it in a translucent haze. The fog swirled in the stone, shifting as the swinging pendant moved. She took it in her hand, an instant sense of relief filling her. She let out a sharp gasp as she felt her fever disappear along with her dizziness and the nausea that had threatened to return.

"What is it?" He laughed at her astonishment, holding out his hand for the necklace.

"May I?" She granted him a delicate nod, dropping the fragile pendant into his palm. She gathered up her hair quickly before her reprise from illness ended. With that out of the way, he unclasped the necklace, putting it around her neck and reconnecting it. She felt that cool serenity surround her once again. "It is a healing charm. It is designed to take your illness or injuries and dissipate them into the air. Only minor trauma, however. I can't heal death." She frowned, her nose wrinkling in a way he found was beautiful on her. _Everything_ was beautiful on her.

"Did you make it or did you take it?" This one question would decide whether she kept it or not. It would tell how much he cared.

"I made it." He kissed her softly. "Nothing but the best for you, my dear." She let out a quiet growl, a wide grin spread across her face. At his words, she had let down her barriers, and she found that the necklace took her worries as well as simple healing. She had no more fear with him.

"In that case," she lifted her flimsy nightgown over her head, tossing it to the ground beside her. "I think you deserve a proper 'thank you'" She straddled him, pushing him back against the bed. He watched her, lust filling them both as she leaned over to kiss him. Her soft lips attacked his, no sign of her former frailty present as she tore off his vest. Her body burned for him, every single piece of her screaming his name. He was what she wanted, and she hadn't had him for so long. She couldn't live without having him right then and right there.

"Feeling better, then, dearie?" She cut him off with another rough kiss. He did not protest at this way of quieting him. A deep growl came from the delicate-looking woman.

"Shut. Up." Her body moved against his forcefully, a gasp tearing from his lips. She reached down, feeling his every movement through his skin-tight leather pants. Looking back up at him, hunger filled her gaze. Desperate fingers yanked on his shirt, tearing it at the side. Neither noticed or cared, only wanting each other. The shirt had been in their way. A devious grin came across her face, and, after checking quickly, she grabbed his wrists and locked them into the restraints he had placed her in weeks back. His eyes widened in shock, a tiny bit of fear creeping into him.

He felt himself being pulled to her, his body begging for her. It was unnerving, this lack of control he had. She was such a powerful woman, but he never imagined she would be able to take him unless she let him. He was her Master. Not the other way around. Even so, she controlled him now. No longer was he the Dark One with her. He was a man, and no man could ever resist his feisty little beast.

"Would you like me to liberate you, Master?" Her deep voice purred, but there was still that undertone of passion and desire that could not be ignored. He nodded fervently, desperation overtaking him. He needed her now. She pulled a small dagger out of thin air, running the tip across his cheek. His body began to tremble both from anticipation and fear. She moved down his body, the tip trailing down his chest until she reached his trousers. With quick jerks of her arm, she sliced them to pieces, and they were finally both without clothing.

Wasting no time, she came down on him, feeling him inside of her. They moved together, a perfect cycle of passion and power. As she felt herself getting closer, she clutched his chest and hurried her pace, pushing harder, faster. Her nails bit into his chest, and groans escaped the pair, blending together in the heat. Neither was sure how long it had been before they were crying out together, him screaming her name, and she screaming "Master!" over and over until she slumped down across his chest, body completely taken.

They stayed there, both exhausted, laid out together, his hands still tied back. She was leaning against his chest, panting and desperately trying to catch her breath. Minutes that felt like hours passed in silence barring from their alternating breaths. Once Cora had regained breath, she sat up once again, leaning over him. He sent her a positively wicked grin, both knowing what it meant.

"My turn." A snap of his fingers had him on top, pinning her down. Her hands were now tied down where his had been. He just stared down at her for a minute. Her face was still flushed a deep red, quite a change from her usually snow-white skin. Her gorgeous brown hair that was so often pulled back perfectly, not a hair out of place, was spread across his pillow, ratted up and tangled. It was now when she was truly beautiful, completely flustered by their passion. Her eyes begged him to take her, a fresh hunger overtaking her body.

He tilted her head up, leaning down to give her a gentle kiss before shoving into her. She cried out once again, that pleasured scream that was better than any song she ever sang. He quieted her with a rough kiss, continuing to push into her. He felt himself burn with pleasure as he took her, tremors racing through his body as she wrapped her leg around him, pulling him down deeper into her. They both groaned, and her eyes closed as they continued. He kissed down her neck, biting down on her pulse point. She let out another moan. He continued to kiss across her chest, biting to mark his territory. Once again, they climaxed together, twin cries tearing out of them before he rolled off of her, freeing her wrists.

She turned over to him, curling her arms around his muscled chest. He brushed her hair back out of her face, and she fell into an exhausted sleep. He kissed her forehead, and snapped his fingers, a new nightgown covering her form. He sent her back to her room in the palace and stayed stretched across his bed.

"That woman will end me." He wasn't so sure that he minded.

Cora woke up in her own room, little Sophia sleeping soundly beside her. She got out of bed and looking into her looking glass, pulling her neckline down. Her chest was covered with bruises from her lover. She quickly covered her chest with her hair, thankful for its incredible length. She would be wearing it down for many days now. She clutched her stomach as her nausea threatened its return. Her neck was bare, lacking the gift that had helped heal her. She slipped back into bed, peace returning to her body as the little girl began to glow. _Thank god for her_ she thought.


	8. Chapter 8

**I don't own OUAT**

* * *

Cora didn't know what to do. She had told neither man in her life that she was pregnant, purely out of fear. She knew not whose child it was. Besides that, if she mentioned it to Henry, he may leave her when Rumplestiltskin came to take her child. There was no safe option for her. She would lose the child regardless, and the love of one of her men. Neither could know until it was too late. However, she feared it was almost that time. She was months into her pregnancy, and had begun to show.

Still, only Sophia knew about the child. Cora had dismissed Kryssi from her duties of dressing, undressing, and bathing her a few weeks back. Regardless of the girl's apparent secret-keeping skills, she could not be trusted with something such as this. She would no-doubt tell Henry. That was something she could not allow to happen. Worse yet, she would most likely wish to tell the King. If he found out, he would dismiss her from the household, despite the gold he recieved from her. She would not lose her crown. He could not know.

She looked at herself in the mirror, staring with horror at her prominent stomach. She sucked in her breath, trying to pull her gut in as much as possible. Despite her efforts, it was very obvious that she was pregnant. She padded her clothing during the day, making it look as though she was simply growing fat. It was not something she wished to do, destroying her beauty with such things, but it was what needed to be done to keep her secret. She thirsted for a man, but could not sleep with either one now without them knowing her secret. It had been a little over a month since she had had a man, and it was wearing on her nerves. She was practicing her magic freely in her chambers now, trying to concoct a spell to conceal the bump. It was not working.

"Ma'am, I have new sheets for your bed." Kryssi pushed her way into the room, the stack of bed clothing in her arms gratefully covering her eyes. Cora frantically looked for a way out, finally, desperately, hiding in the wardrobe as quickly and quietly as she could. Kryssi set the pile down on the bed, looking around in confusion. "I could have sworn she was in here…" With a shrug of her shoulders, she started to set the bed, first stripping it of its sheets, and then folding the old ones. Cora inwardly groaned. This would take forever. Some deity must have decided to shine down on her, because as Kryssi was setting out the sheets, she noticed something. "Wrong size." She hastened out of the room.

Cora figured she had about ten minutes before the girl reappeared with the correct bed wear. She snatched up a random dress and a few rags to stuff it with, and quickly threw the dress over her head. Looking in the mirror, she noticed she had not put on a corset. It was not the safest idea to wear a corset when with child, but she only had clothing that required it. Cursing herself, she tore the dress off again, digging for a corset. She found one, tying it as loosely as possible. She gazed into the mirror, satisfied with how it looked and how it sat on her bloated abdomen. She turned around, walking towards the bed where she had abandoned the corset. Looking up, she realized just how much trouble she was in. Henry and Kryssi both stood in her doorway. Twin pairs of eyes were locked on her bulging stomach. They knew.

Henry's eyes twitched from her stomach to her face, taking in her horror-stricken face with a disgusted look of his own. His fingers moved to the tip of the sword on his side, slowly gliding it out of its holster. He raised it above his head at the same moment that Kryssi jumped on Cora, pushing her to the ground, arms pinned underneath. The pain tore through Cora as burning rivers flowed from her eyes. She felt a kick- her child's first- come. She could do nothing to save it. It kept kicking, not letting her give up.

"Please, no! My child!" She was promptly silenced by Kryssi banging her head against the cold stone ground. She lost her fight, her now-bleeding head limp on the ground. Her whole existence was pain, and even the child had lost its fight. The kicks ceased.

"The bastard deserves to die as much as his whore of a mother!" She gave in, not caring to survive anymore. She closed her eyes and waited. It was short. Just one more pain, this one swift and sharp, a blade straight through her spinal cord. And that was it. The pain stopped. It was finally over. But then she blinked. How was it possible? She had somehow survived, impossibly. There was a blunt pain that shot through her mind as she spun, he vision blurring to the point of blindness. After hours, she slowed to a stop, facing her own decapitated body. Her own scarlet blood poured out over the white stone.

"How is this possible?" She heard a harsh giggle behind her and was suddenly picked up. Her eyes searched to find who was holding her. She saw Kryssi and Henry still standing over her corpse. Then who?

"Well, I can answer that for you, dearie." She was turned around to face Rumplestiltskin. "I'm not done with you yet." She was set down on a dresser, and he got in her... well, face. "You lied to me, Cora. I see now it was for your child. Well, I intend to take her now. We had a deal!" He reached his arm through her mutilated body and pulled a fetus out. Setting the bloody child down on her bed, he waved his hand, making the child grow bigger until she was of natural size and development. Cora smiled at that. Her daughter. Her child was a girl. A living, breathing girl, even if Cora herself was not anymore.

"Let me die now." He paused for a moment, considering. The child disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, and he walked over to Kryssi. Henry smiled and nodded at him as he passed, stepping aside so that he was on the far side of the trio. Kryssi looked up at him and giggled.

"I told you we'd get her, baby!" He wrapped his arm around her, pulling her into a deep kiss.

"All thanks to my beautiful little informant." One minute her assailants were across the room, joined as one. The next, they were directly in front of her. Rumplestiltskin leaned towards her and spat at her. "Tell me, Cora. Tell me!"

He snapped his fingers, and all her senses went numb, her consciousness fading into emptiness.

* * *

"Wakey, wakey, sleeping beauty" Her eyes flew open, and she propelled herself off of her bed. She could not look the man in the eyes. He offered her a hand, and she took it, standing up shakily, her nightmare fresh in her mind. She had to tell him. If she didn't... A shudder tore through her already trembling body. If she didn't, she was sure to die. Soon, and most assuredly by his hands. And, if she told him... perhaps he could help her hide it from Henry until a safe time. She sat down on her bed lightly.

"We need to talk.." He nodded, understanding her point instantly. He wrapped his arms around her and sent them to her castle, this time in the large dining hall she had seen at her first visit. She sat on the edge of the table, her mind cluttered with how she was going to break this to him. She didn't want him to take her child. She just hoped they could both raise her daughter together. No matter whose child she actually turned out being. He sent her a disapproving look and pointed to the chair beside her feet. Sighing, she moved into it instead.

"What is it?" He sat himself down in the chair beside hers, taking her hands in his own. She ran her fingers along his own scaly fingers, biting her lip as she tried to think of how to say it. She could think of no safe option.

"I... am with child." He dropped her hands, staring at her. His eyes quickly flickered to her stomach. There was a small bulge, but he would have dismissed it before, brushed it off as her getting a bit too used to palace life.

"Well, well, well. This just changes everything, doesn't it?" His eyes were lit up as he gazed into her eyes. "We will celebrate, of course!" He took her hand again, lifting it to his lips before pulling her out of her seat, spinning her around. Noting her hesitant look, he conjured something behind his back. "Also, I should return this." It was the necklace he had given her the last time she had been here. "You must have let it slip off the last time you were here."

"Thank you." She took it from him, tying it around her neck once again. It flashed red briefly, only noticeable to him. What would have been noticeable to any old fool would be the change in her attitude. All concern was dropped from her face and replaced with a beautiful smirk. This was the frisky little firecracker he had chosen as his lover. All he had to do was drop her inhibitions, add a small love spell. She was easily brought back out from the shell of this new royal. She was so much less herself without him. He was only helping her out, of course. A little gift to her.

Her strong arms rested themselves on his shoulders as gracefully as the royal she was constantly pretending to be. Her porcelain skin was cold as the stone it so looked like. He knew a good way to warm her up. His own arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her closer to him. He leaned down and kissed her, pulling her closer to him every second, clothing being the only thing separating their chests. Soon enough, she had ripped that away too. The love spell had most certainly taken hold. Clinging to him, she contained them in a large puff of purple smoke. It transported them to the bedroom she was now so familiar with.

He touched her bare stomach gently. This woman bore the child who would bring back his son. And the same child... would become his daughter. His newly-renewed parenthood was definitely something to celebrate, and with who else but the woman who gave him this chance? His hands quickly moved from her stomach to her wrists, throwing her onto his bed. This night would be better than each one before. Because now he had something to live for. Two, in fact. His son, and his new daughter. He would take the little girl soon enough, and then Cora would not be as important to him. But for now, she was the most important woman in the universe. No one could hurt her. She was under his protection, and would remain under it until she bore his child. After that... she was a good enough apprentice. He may decide to keep her around.

"Well don't tell me you plan on just standing there all night." She was laying across his bed, a heavy pout covering her lips. "Join me."

And he was all too happy to agree.


	9. Chapter 9

**I don't own OUAT**

"She isn't mine." It was a simple statement that tore down Cora's happiness. She did not want to have the Prince's child; she wanted Rumplestiltskin's. The excitement of her child was beginning to fade into disgust. The man had only been with her once in comparison to all of the times she had been with her Master in the past months. It was not fair. And the child would not have the advantage of two magical parents. From the vague details she had managed to get out of him about what he would do once he had taken her child, she could tell it would take a lot of power. He did not want her for this task, so why should her daughter be any different if she were not his as well?

"I am sorry." She looked down at her now quite-round stomach. She was now 5 months pregnant, and had it not been for the useful spells that Rumplestiltskin had taught her, someone surely would have discovered her. As it was, she had to conceal her shock at the kicks that came from the child on occasion. She kicked for Sophia frequently, and kicked once or twice around Henry. She refused to kick for Rumplestiltskin. He was not pleased by this.

"Sorry for what, dearie? The wrong man impregnating you? I want the child, not her father." Cora was surprised by his utter lack of regard as to the background of her daughter. His daughter, as he probably had begun to think of her. It was worrying, the thought. Giving away her firstborn was of no consequence to her, but after she was gone… Cora had to wonder what her use to him would be. He had, perhaps, only remained with her for the sake of hurrying the process of her producing a child. It was insulting, but realistic. After the girl's birth, she would become useless in his mind. She couldn't allow that to happen.

"I suppose that is a good thing, then." She was laid out on her own bed in the castle, the door firmly sealed, and Kryssi instructed to let no one enter. It had been disturbing timing for her. She had just climaxed when he got the vision. Regardless, she knew it was best to allow him to continue. Rolling off of him, she propped herself up with arm, gazing up at him. "Tell me about her."

"She will be beautiful and very powerful. Spitting image of you. Her eyes will be slightly lighter, though. She will be obedient and easily trained. And she will love you with all of her heart." Cora perked up at these comments, but was slightly baffled. If he were to take the child, how would she become close to her? How would she grow to love her if she was not in her life?

"She will know me?" Rumplestiltskin nodded.

"Of course. I wouldn't dream of keeping such a fragile girl from her mother." He was not prepared for the attack of the woman who had been lying so calmly beside him moments before. She kissed him roughly, muttering a thousand little "thank you"s across his lips. It was then, with her body pressed so closely to his, that her child decided to kick. He jumped slightly at the feeling, smiling at it, and turned her around to lay on his chest, her back now pressed against it. He took her hands in his, placing both sets on her bare stomach.

"Regina, kick for your mother." The little girl growing in his stomach obeyed him as swiftly as she did.

"Regina?" He nodded, kissing her neck gently.

"You always did believe that there was power in a name. She grows to be just like you in every single way." It was strange, but there was an undertone of sadness in his voice as he said it.

"Is there something wrong with that?" He was silent for quite a long time, tapping his fingers against her bare skin softly for a few minutes. It seemed as though he was not going to respond when he startled her with his strange answer.

"If she grows up to be anything like you are now, I will be the happiest man alive." She wasn't sure how to respond to that, so she didn't. The silence that followed was mostly contented, but there was an underlying suspicion. What wasn't he telling her? Just as she was working up the courage to ask him, the door was swung open, Sophia racing past Kryssi.

"I'm so sorry, Ma'am, she- "Kryssi froze, staring at Cora's stomach. Cora's heart sank. She could not allow her dream to come true.

"Hello Sophia. Would you mind wiping her memory?" She said it calmly, trying to pretend that she hadn't just been found naked and pregnant with her lover by a young child and a servant who worked for a man who wanted her dead. Sophia nodded, sending flickering green sparks at Kryssi, who dropped to the floor unconscious. Rumple, quite unceremoniously, sent her flying out of the room across the floor, slamming the door behind her.

"Sorry, Cora! I just really had to talk to you about your baby!" The girl really was quite adorable. Rumple nodded, moving the pair of them to the side of the bed, leaving a space open for the young girl. He too had grown fond of her. As Sophia drew closer to them, she began to glow slightly.

"What is it?" It was only after Sophia sat down that Cora noticed she was panting from running across the castle. She stroked the girl's hair gently.

"Henry picked a date for the wedding... and he- he... He wants to have it at Lake Galdur. Says he's scared that the spinning is making you too uncontrollable." By now the little girl was crying. Cora was very confused by the girl's tears and the strong look of concern that covered her master's face.

"What is Lake Galdur? Rumple?" He sighed, creating an image of a muddy lake in the air in front of them. There were small lilies decorating the edges of the small lake. What was odd was that there were little blue sparks covering the surface of the lake. Magic.

"Lake Galdur takes the powers of any magic creature and adds it to the water. The individual's prior spells will remain intact barring from those that are on the person at that instant. He intends to take your magic away, Cora. And in doing so, you will lose the enchantment that conceals her from him. "

It was shocking news. Though she knew that Henry had never liked her magic, she had never thought he would go to such lengths. Hopefully, with the right time given to it, she could convince him to change his mind. He did care for her, after all. And that was something she could- and frequently did- use to her advantage.

"I will just have to convince him otherwise. When has he set it?" The girl looked down apologetically.

"In two weeks' time." Cora laughed humourlessly, standing up abruptly. As she stood, her pregnant appearance vanished.

"And here I was under the impression that royal weddings took time. Well then!" She dressed herself quickly a snap of her fingers "I'd best go speak with him."

With that, she left the room, leaving Sophia and Rumple alone.

"I'm going to go back to my room to let you, um... leave." Sophia climbed off of the bed, trying not to look at the bare-chested man sitting in her future sister's bed. At least they had been covered somewhat under the sheets. She was so young-what would people think if they knew she'd seem so much of a man, much less one so much older than her?

"Before you go..." He reached under the covers, pulling a china doll out from under the sheets that looked exactly like the little girl in a red velvet dress. "Thank you for taking care of Cora."

She took the doll, a small little smile forming across her lips.

"She's family."

* * *

Cora entered the dining hall with a flourish, the doors slamming as they were thrown open. She smirked at the look of irritation that Xavier sent her.

"Hello, darling." She said with an innocent little pout as she draped herself over Henry's shoulders. "I've just heard the most wonderful news."

"Cora, we are discussing matters of the utmost importance." Xavier said sternly, signaling towards the door.

"Oh, but so do I! A little bird told me that the wedding date had been set. I just wanted to know when it is. There's so much that needs to be done. The flowers, the location, the dress- will I have to make my own, or will you have someone make one for me?" She was babbling. She had found that the best way to get information in this family was to act as stupid as they thought she was. If they thought she was the foolish miller's girl, they did not think much of her. She preferred it that way.

"One has been made that you will be fitted for in the next hour. The wedding will be in a few weeks. That is all you must know." Xavier had always been quite dismissive with her in the past, but this was insulting.

"But _Henry_!" she whined. "I want to plan my wedding with my fiancé! NOW!"

Both men groaned audibly.

"Henry, pacify your woman. She has grown too vocal." Xavier finally conceded, ordering a servant to fetch Henry's older brothers instead. Henry practically dragged Cora from the room.

"What was that about?" He hissed, glaring at her. It was interesting to see such a look on her easily manipulated fiancé.

"I've... always dreamed about my wedding. And getting married to a prince, I just want everything to be perfect." She put as much innocence and weakness into her expression and voice as she could.

"Alright." He sighed, wrapping an arm around her. "What do you want to plan?"

"I've always wanted my wedding in a small church, but now that we'll have so many guests, I suppose it'll have to be larger, won't it? Perhaps the grand ballroom of the palace?" He chuckled, holding her close, something that would be almost scandalous if anyone saw them.

"I do like seeing you so excited about something other than your... magic." She nodded, clinging harder to him.

"So we can do it?" She was so hopeful, practically glowing with joy. It was such a shift from her normal, but happiness was all he wanted for her.

"Yes. We can do it." She smirked internally, breaking out into a grin externally.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" He kissed her once, caught up in the excitement of the moment.

"Why don't you go get fitted into your dress, my beautiful bride?" She nodded once more, leaving him quickly, a smirk covering her face as soon as her back was turned from him. She had gotten what she wanted.


	10. Chapter 10

**I don't own OUAT**

**As you will probably notice, this chapter ****_is_**** a scene from the show. The story will be picking up after this chapter, so this one really is quite important. Once again, though, I don't own 99% of the dialogue of this chapter.**

* * *

Cora pulled her veil off of her face, glowing in her beautiful white wedding dress. It was worth half the gold she had made for the King, but he had no financial woes now. Though she had power, she would forever be his gold-maker. Still, she reaped the benefits, so she wouldn't complain too much.

"Enjoying the view as much as I am?" She turned from the looking glass to gaze at her lover for a moment before he came up to her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. She pulled away.

"How dare you? I'm a married woman." She smirked, pleased to toy with him. Her lover, her savior, her master.

"Not yet. Wedding's tomorrow." She pulled him into another kiss, his point proven, yet the importance of it lacking. She would be with him forever, even when she was Princess.

"Hm, well then it's alright" They kissed again, neither one breaking it until they had run out of breath. As the pulled apart, her lover grinned.

"Love the dress." As he moved away, she replied in her usual saucy manner. It was, after all, the one he liked most.

"Well, brides have to be snow-white." He giggled, setting himself down upon a chair in the corner of her room.

"When you see the future, there is irony everywhere!" She had no idea what he meant by it, but she had grown accustomed to his cryptic replies. They were one of the few things you could depend on from Rumplestiltskin. He always said what he meant, but what h said never meant what it seemed to. She turned towards him.

"You know, I thought I wanted this. White and bright, all the admiration... Then I look at it. Fifth in line to be queen. That won't happen without an awful lot of bloodshed. And what you give me..." He cut her off, taking her gloved hands in his.

"I can give you nothing but darkness. And isolation." She heard his words, but did not believe them, not believing he could ever be bad for her. He had hurt her before, brought her close to death, and it was strange and horrible, but she needed him. He was her drug, the one thing she knew she could never resist because of the strength he had given her. The strength, and...

"And love." He bowed his head for a moment, perhaps trying to decide if it was true. Did he love her? He had used her, taken her because she was the one he needed, the one who would produce what he needed. But did he love her? Could he ever fall in love with such a tool? But she had proven him wrong at that. She had never allowed herself to be his tool unless it was advantageous to her. She could control him almost as well as he did her. So, yes. He did. He always would. It was so hard not to.

"Yes, and love." She leaned forward, coming up him before replying, her voice cool and soft.

"I want that." He looked dumb-founded for a moment, not believing that she could ever want him. Not believing that she could ever love him back. He stood, flustered, trying to piece together a new reality from the shards of the one he had grown accustomed to; the one that she had just shattered with those three simple words.

"What if I, uh," He stood, piecing his words together as he circled the room "what if I uhm, amended our contract? Instead of you owing me some random first-born child," He turned to her, eyes darting to her stomach for a moment. He mouthed the name Regina, knowing he was a fool. Knowing that he was falling into a trap that the woman hadn't yet devised. He had seen the future, and there was no second child. But he wanted to let himself dream, hope that she wouldn't leave him. Pretend he didn't know the outcome just once. "You owe me my child." She nodded, her dreams of him piecing together in her mind as he allowed himself to believe, to forget all that he knew was to come.

"I can make that deal" He came up to her quickly, grasping her hands desperately.

"As can I" His voice exuded desire as he said the words. He had closed off a portion of his mind, the part that saw the future. And it was strange, but it was easy. It never had been before, but now, holding the hands of the woman he loved, it was almost as though he was free from the curse of the future. So often had he thought it to be a gift, but all it had done was hurt him. The future could not touch him now, now that he had her.

"Rumple. Can we really do this? Can we really have this?" She began to doubt this opportunity he had offered, doubted that she could have happiness with her love and escape the wrath of the king. Xavier wanted her dead, not hiding it whatsoever. She was safe because of Henry's love. But if she were to betray him, would he still protect her? He seemed so easily shattered, so easily changed from a loving fiance to a monster.

"If you truly wish it" She accepted his words, but there was still a doubt that floated through her head. A desire she could not hide away to be with this man.

"There is one..."

"What?" He cut her off, desperate for her to have everything her heart could wish for. She bowed her head slightly before admitting to him.

"It's the King. He humiliated me. He made me feel the way you showed me I never have to feel. I want to kill him. I want to show him his heart before I do it so he can see it and know what I'm doing. As I crush it" His eyes lit up with pride at her words, a sense of common desire filling the pair. He did not know that part of her will to kill the King came from fear. If he had, he may have been disappointed in her. She could not allow that, and therefor made certain that he would be pleased as she caused the look to fill her eyes that would please him. It was not hard to draw pleasure from the idea of the King dying, but it was slightly difficult to bring it up so strong that it covered her fear. But it would do.

"And that is why I love you." She grinned, modesty not her strong suit, most especially not when it came to the pleasure her master received from her blood lust. She placed her hand on his chest, feeling the faint heartbeat that proved to her that he still had an ounce of humanity.

"Show me." He grasped her hand in his own, love filling his heart as the woman continued loving him and despising those who had wronged her. As she should. Those who were cocky enough to harm his beloved Cora deserved their deaths in whichever way she chose. They should never have considered harming such a woman.

"I will show you everything." She made up her mind.

"Then I will do it tonight."

"Let's seal that promise." They pulled together, closing the small distance between the pair, his arms wrapping around her, hers clutching his chest as they kissed, sealing their deal in the best of ways.


End file.
